Before The Ice Revised
by Crystalline Maxwell
Summary: Sesshoumaru is a young youkai, about Inuyasha's age, who is striving to become the lord of the West lands like his father. While searching his territory for spies of his enemies he encounters a strange girl. Finished! 11/24
1. Not So Early Thaw

HI AGAIN! ^_^ This is the rewritten version of Before The Ice; my older Inuyasha fic about Sesshoumaru ^^ It's primarily the same except that I completely re-wrote it ^^; Um... lesse here...   
_'.....' _Is thoughts   
"......" Speech (XD)   
and there aren't any authors notes in this one ^_^ yippee!   
**Warnings:** Mild Jaken bashing (does anyone really care about that?), origonal character... not a Mary Sue, but she's a big part of the story ^^; Please R/R I'd really appreciate it. I'll put the next chapter up in a few days ^^   
**Disclaimer:** I don't own the series Inuyasha Sengoku O-togi Zoushi (Inuyasha a Fudal Fairy Tale), if I did this would be in the series ^^ But I do own Crystalline 

I want to thank the people who read my other version ^_^ If any of the rules are being broken by re-writing the fic and re-posting it I'll take the other one down simply because it isn't nearly as good ^^ Please R/R! ^_^ 

Sesshoumaru leapt branch to branch through the forest of the western mountains he called home. He was a young youkai, barely over 700 years old, and yet he already had the air of a prince about him. In demon terms he was about fifteen, nearly sixteen. He had his long hair held back in a pony tail at the base of his neck to keep it from tangling in the foliage of the trees. As he ran his nose twitched and he stopped, sniffing the air for his prey. There was the faint smell of human in the air, mingled with the ever present scent of demons. The scent was unmistakably female. And the creature was obviously near by. His ears twitched. Panting. The girl, wherever she was, was tired. _'Maybe she was running for a while?'_ He mused, looking around on the ground. There were footprints in a relatively straight line, but were obviously made by someone walking shakily. They stopped abruptly at the mouth of a large and seemingly endless hole in the earth. Sesshoumaru landed and listened. Noises were coming from inside it. _'I'm supposed to look for whatever followed that servant girl, not save a mortal.'_ And despite his better judgement he leapt into the hole. There was something different about that smell, youkai blood was mixed into the new scent. A scent that was surprisingly familiar. He landed on a ledge where he could get a clear view of the girl. She was tangled in some vines, wearing quite peculiar clothes. As opposed to a long, multilayered kimono, which was customarily worn by high class ladies, (which he assumed she was; there was a definite scent of perfume on her) she was wearing what appeared to be a short boy's yukata. As he watched her silent form dangling over the abyss he slipped, catching himself in a rather undignified manor by latching onto a vine cluster which just happened to be the same one holding her up. The new weight caused the vines to snap and while Sesshoumaru held fast to another rocky outcropping, the girl fell, bumping her head on a rock as she did. He was quite surprised to find himself dropping down and catching her before climbing out. The young demon lord stood for a while cradling the girl in his arms and waiting for her to wake up. Soon she opened her eyes. They were a beautiful lavender-blue with reds splashed into the center. 

"Lor... Lord Sessho... Sesshoumaru?" 

His eyes widened slightly. How could she know his name? "Who are you girl?" 

Without gracing him with an answer the girl put a shaking hand in his hair and ran it through a few times. With a tiny smile she whispered, "Your hair is shorter than I remember." 

"Who are you?" Sesshoumaru repeated, his normally calm voice rising slightly in anger. He thought hard, he had never see a girl with strawberry blonde hair before. After a minute a puzzling image flickered in his mind. The previous night he had a vision of a female youkai wearing the same kind of clothing as she did, fighting by his side. But she had died in the dream and his sword, Tensagia, couldn't even bring her back to life. She faded from his arms and he had awoken with a start, shouting a name into the darkness of his room. Crystalline. That was it, wasn't it? 

"My name is Crystalline..." When she saw that he didn't recognize her name at all her eyes gained a gray tint to them, and misted over. "Don't you remember me...?" 

Sesshoumaru was taken aback. Was this a spell? "I have no idea who you are. Are you a spy from one of my father's enemies?" 

Crystalline looked hurt, "No! I would never spy against you! Or any of your family! I would rather die than betray you!" 

"Rather die, eh? There may be a chance for you to prove that. Come." He stood up grasping her forearm tightly. "If you're lying, you will be killed." 

She nodded, and was pulled swiftly through the forest. _'Why am I taking her to the den? The meeting will surely be over when I get there.'_ The girl behind him whimpered softly. Sesshoumaru glanced down at her and realized that it was very likely that he had broken her wrist. _'She's tough. I probably pulverized her bone and she isn't even crying!'_ He stopped at the cave's mouth. Without speaking, the girl ripped the sleeve from her shirt and used some branches from a nearby tree to make a splint. And together they walked into the cave only to be confronted by several ugly servant youkai, Jaken leading them. 

"Lord Sesshoumaru! Were you followed by that mortal whore?" The air took on a sudden chill. All eyes turned to Crystalline. The girl bit her lip and her eyes were blazing a bit angrily at the insult. She was about to make a move when Sesshoumaru raised one arm and intervened. 

"I allowed her to come Jaken. She wishes to fight with us in the upcoming war. Maybe we should test her abilities when the time comes. Is father's meeting over?" 

"No my Lord, it continues." Jaken bowed almost to the ground, his face a bit red from embarrassment. The other youkai snickered behind him. 

Ignoring the snickering Sesshoumaru gave Jaken a cold look and said, "Take Crystalline to Mistress Shinju's chamber and say that I ask her to please provide her with a Kimono that suits her. I will attend the meeting." Having said so Sesshoumaru swept down the hall and out of view. 

Jaken bowed stiffly. "Come m' Lady. Lady Shinju's chamber is this way." The toad youkai led her to a side chamber, which had a sad yet beautiful piping sound coming from it. "My Lady Shinju. Lord Sesshoumaru requested that I bring a girl he found to you. He asks that you let her borrow a Kimono." The piping stopped which made Crystalline a bit sad. Although the music was a bit depressing it was a haunting and beautiful melody which pulled at the soul. 

"Send this girl in." Came a clear sweet voice from behind the painted screen doors. Jaken slid open the door, and motioned for Crystalline to enter. Shinju was a young woman with long beautiful raven black hair that went a few feet beyond her back. (It was hard to tell if it went to her feet for she was siting down.) And her eyes were a sparkling blue that reminded Crystalline distinctively of sapphires. The younger girl bowed to the beautiful woman sitting before her. "You do not need to bow to me." Lady Shinju laughed, and her laugh too was beautiful to hear. "Please, tell me your name and story. How did you come here?" 

Crystalline sat across from her. "My name is Crystalline. As to how I got here, I'm not quite sure. I vaguely remember being in a battle... I got drugged and woke up near here... Even though I was a little shaky I walked around, trying to find my friends and I fell into a hole. I must've hit my head or something because the next thing I remember was Lord Sesshoumaru finding me. And that's all." 

"Very interesting. I can't quite make sense of it but, interesting. Now then," Shinju smiled and stood up, gesturing toward her vast closet, "let us find you a Kimono." 

Inside the main hall Sesshoumaru, the other fighting Demons, and his Father were discussing their current predicament. Shinju's father was, evidently, still holding a grudge toward Sesshoumaru's father and, now deceased, mother. There was going to be a war soon. They couldn't avoid the human confrontation any longer. Crystalline was going to get a chance to prove herself, that was for sure. Of course, Sesshoumaru had not told his father about her request to fight at their side. That would need to wait untill it was asked of him, although he would have preferred to talk about it alone with his father. Inu-Youkai looked at his son with pride. Although Sesshoumaru was young he was already a great strategist. The demon lord doubted highly that he would have anything to worry about with his first son already so brilliant in the ways of war. The only thing about him to worry about was his vindictive streak and his mild distaste toward mortals... but Inu-Youkai presumed that that could be easily dealt with as the boy grew older. For the time being he was a good right hand man and a wonderful son. 

"Son, soon we will need to enter battle," The demon lord spoke softly, yet the entire hall could hear him clearly, "we might need a few reinforcements. Do you know of any young youkai who might assist us?" 

Sesshoumaru stood up and cleared his throat. "While I was making sure m'lady's servant was not followed I ran across a girl in the forest. Whom, while she appeared quite human, smelled like a demon. She said that she wanted to fight at our side if the chance ever arose. She is making company with Lady Shinju at the moment." He sat down amidst murmurs from his father's court. His sharp ears picked up much of the conversation and he noticed that most of the youkai were against the idea of an unknown woman joining them just before a battle. 

Inu-Youkai thought for a moment and waited until the murmuring subsided. He spoke again and the remaining whispers died away immediately. "I see, son go get her from Shinju's quarters and bring her before us." 

Bowing to his father and then the council, Sessho-Maru left. He walked down the hallways, hewn into the mountain centuries before his birth and felt the walls with his hand. They were smooth to the touch in this part of the underground labyrinth, while the walls closest to his hall (for the son of the lord of the west could not have simply a room) were more grainy, like granite. He had, however, lined his rooms with marble for effect. When he reached the door to the woman's chamber he knocked lightly. 

There was movement behind it, followed by a giggles and soon a voice rang out happily, and still with a slight giggle in it, from inside. 

"Yes? Who is it?" 

Sesshoumaru sighed quietly. He hated to speak to his father's new mate. It wasn't that he disliked the fact that she was human, although later he would certainly hold that against her, it was because she was like a replacement for his mother, and that burned him a bit. "It is Sesshoumaru m' Lady. Lord Inu-Youkai wishes that Crystalline be brought to him." 

More giggling. Was that all girls ever did? He sighed again and tapped his foot a few times. After a (seemingly) long wait the panel slid open. Crystalline was sitting next to her new friend, wearing a cherry blossom patterned Kimono, and was obviously embarrassed at the way the kimono fit. Sesshoumaru stared at her for a second, surprised. Her hair hung loosely about her shoulders and flowed down to the small of her back. She stood up and followed Sesshoumaru out to the council. She bowed stiffly before the assembly, earning many whispered comments. Soon, a cat youkai stood up and addressed her somewhat scornfully. 

"Little girl," the blue haired youkai's voice was also laden with a condescending tone, "Have you ever even _seen_ a battle? By the looks of things you're a little princess without the strength to _lift_ a weapon!" There were distinct murmurs of agreement from the others. 

Crystalline was quiet for a moment and smiled, "I'm flattered that you think I am a princess, m'lady. Although, admittedly, I am not the best fighter in the world I can hold my own in a fight. And I enjoy it very much." 

"Do you think you could hold your own against a Dragon?" Asked a male horse Demon who stood a few feet away from the cat woman. He had a strong build and a bit of a surely look about him, but he was also much more kindly spoken when he addressed the girl. 

After a minute or two in thought she sighed and spoke, "It would depend on the Dragon. I might hold my own in a race with a swift one... I would probably lose in a fight with a first class, a high mage dragon could definitely beat me, hands down. But I have cared for some and I might be able to win in most cases." 

Inu-Youkai stood up and addressed her, a thin smile pulling at the edges of his mouth. "Do you think you could defeat Sesshoumaru or me?" 

"I might be able to, if my arm weren't broken." She looked at Sesshoumaru and he avoided her eyes. They seemed like they could cut through stone and he didn't quite like them staring into his. 

"Son, bring your sword." Sessho-Maru stood up and crossed the room. 

"Yes father?" 

"Attend to her wrist." 

He took his sword and swiftly sliced her hand. The whole council gasped, expecting her hand to fall to the ground. 

Except nothing happened to it. Crystalline removed the bandage to look at her wrist. It was completely healed. After swinging it around a bit and flicking it around she smiled. "Thank you Lord. Please allow me to do battle with you tomorrow." 

Inu-Youkai smiled. This girl looked as if she could be trained. "You will need somewhere to spend the night. Would you mind sleeping in my throne room? It is quite spacious." 

Sesshoumaru looked at his father, mildly confused. Inu-Youkai had a tendency to fill his throne rooms with the skulls and bones of his enemies, once the flesh had been eaten away. "Father," he whispered, "are you trying to frighten her?" 

Inu-Youkai replied in a similar tone, "I am simply testing her nerve. If she fights with us she will see at least that many carcasses. She might not be able to handle the carnage." 

"Oh, she can Father. Crystalline may have been a priestess, but she is much braver than she looks." Sesshoumaru said with pride. Then he realized what he had just said. _'Where did _that_ thought come from? I hardly know her!'_

After a few minutes of walking they reached the chamber entrance. Upon opening the doors they expected Crystalline to faint, as Shinju had done, or scream at the very least. Instead she said; "Nice bone collection. Maybe I could add to it." And sat down with her back against the wall. She took a knife out of her kimono and looked at Inu-Youkai. "May I carve some weapons and figurines with the Ogre bones? I haven't carved for a long time." 

Too astounded to speak the Lord of the West nodded. Then turned and walked out, followed by his son. "That woman reminds me of your Mother, Ryoko. You'd do well to find a mate in her." 

Sesshoumaru looked at his father in surprise, which showed in his voice. "I hardly know her! Besides, she's probably mad at me 'cause I broke her arm." 

"She seems to be a strong girl, I'm sure she'll get over it." Inu-Youkai stopped at the doors to his son's personal chambers. He ran a clawed hand through the young warlord-to-be's hair and gave him a smile, "Have a good night's sleep son. Be ready to spar with her in the morning."   
  


In the morning, after having woken up and dressed for battle Sesshoumaru went to his father's throne room opened the doors. He glanced at Crystalline. She was sound asleep with her hair obscuring her face, and her soft breathing could almost be seen rising as mist in front of her. In her hand was an almost finished bone dagger. It's handle had a Dragon intricately etched into every inch of the bone. Sesshoumaru found himself brushing the strawberry tinted hair from her pale face with a surprising tenderness he did not know he had._ 'She _is_ kind of pretty... she doesn't look much like a warrior though.'_ Crystalline stirred. Her eyes fluttered open and she found herself looking at a slightly startled Sesshoumaru. 

"Wha? Oh... Good morning Lord Sesshoumaru. Are we going to spar this morning?" 

A slightly embarrassed Sesshoumaru nodded. Crystalline shook her hair from her face. Sesshoumaru noticed something different about her. 

"What's with your ears? They don't look like they did last night." 

"Hn?" Crystalline raised one hand to her ear and felt its change in shape. It had grown almost two inches longer and forked off at the tip. "Oh... last night I was in a more human form than normal. I must've used up my magic. That kind of thing happens when I do something strenuous, sometimes." She got up and pulled a comb from her kimono, she had carved it the previous night, and combed the bone flecks and tangles out of her hair. After a minute or two they walked out. As they went through the damp corridors Crystalline slipped on a wet patch in the cave and into Sesshoumaru's arms. They stood that way for a minute, shocked and embarrassed. After a few seconds of staring into his golden eyes Crystalline righted herself and, blushing, murmured; "I'm sorry. I should have been watching where I was going." 

Also blushing, though far less, Sesshoumaru replied. "It is slippery here, especially during the spring. I guess you're not used to wearing that kind of sandals." 

She nodded and they continued. Soon the path grew thinner. And they had to walk closer together, Crystalline feeling a bit awkward and Sesshoumaru ignoring the awkwardness of it all. Sesshoumaru walked swiftly outside. His Father was waiting. "Girl, your first opponent will be me. Do you have any objections?" 

"Well, I don't think I should fight in Lady Shinju's Kimono. It might get dirty." She smiled. "I'd like to wear my other clothing. If that's alright." 

Inu-Youkai laughed throatily, this lass was interesting. "Very well." He summoned a toad youkai (who looked far too much like Jaken for Crystalline's tastes) to bring them to her, "Here they are. Go over to the spring and change. Sesshoumaru will make sure no one peeks." 

Sesshoumaru looked at his Father and noted a gleam in his eye. He was up to something. Crystalline smiled again. "Okay then. If you say so. I'm gonna change." She gathered her clothing and headed towards the spring. 

Sesshoumaru followed, uncertainly. _'What was that gleam in his eyes? I wonder what he's got planned for us... er...' _He shook his head and mentally corrected himself. There was no 'us'. There was Crystalline and there was him, Sesshoumaru, but there was no 'us'. 

Upon reaching the spring Sesshoumaru stationed himself behind a large oak tree and waited. "No peeking Sesshoumaru!" Crystalline called jokingly. She knew he'd never peek at her. And it didn't matter since she was wearing a series of bandages that covered her chest and lower half. Sesshoumaru sat with his back to her, waiting for whatever his Father was planning to do, since there was obviously _something_ in store for them. He remembered what his Father had said the night before. _'"That woman reminds me of your Mother, Ryoko. You'd do well to find a mate in her." Maybe he's going to try and put us together.'_ His brooding was cut short by Crystalline's shriek. 

"Yeek! Sesshoumaru, I need a little help here!" 

Sesshoumaru looked at her out of the corner of his eye, a small smirk tugging at his normally nonchalant features. "I thought I couldn't come over there." 

"I'm not _naked_! Just come get this rabid wolf off me!" She continued to wrestle with the wolf until Sesshoumaru wrenched it off, and the middle of her bindings along with it. Without looking he threw the wolf into the forest. Crystalline looked at the scrape on her stomach and sighed; it wasn't deep but it still hurt. 

"Guess I need some more bandages. Thanks for the help." She looked at him. He was ridged. Her ears twitched. "What's that?" She pointed to a bush, it shook slightly. 

"DEMON BEGONE!" 

Some Monks jumped out with arrows drawn tight in their bows. "Away from the Priestess, vile Demon!" 

"What the?" They chorused. 

"Priestess?" Sesshoumaru echoed, "What Priestess?" 

The Monk's leader, an aged man, about forty years of age, was carrying a golden staff and he pointed it toward Crystalline. 

"Me?" She hid behind Sesshoumaru. "I'm..." 

The leader muttered something and made a motion with his staff. A ball of blazing white light flew at Sesshoumaru. He braced himself, waiting for the blast to hit him, but nothing happened. He opened one eye and looked; Crystalline was standing before him with her unfinished bone dagger held in front of her. Her hair was flying around her, glowing lavender around the edges. 

"Go away. You have no business with me, or Sesshoumaru." She stared lazily at them, trying hard to conceal her laughter. 

"Lady Priestess, the Lord of this land wishes you come to him. He is in need of spiritual healing." 

She smiled darkly, her eyes shining brightly, "You say he needs to see me? Why not one of you? There should be no need for a Shameness from another province." 

"The lord wishes for a Priestess to exorcize the Demon from his chamber. You're the best we could find." 

"Fresh load of bull if I ever heard it." Crystalline mumbled. To the Monks she said, "Interesting offer, but I serve only one Lord." 

"What?! Which Lord?" The head-monk looked startled, although he also seemed to have expected the answer to be exactly that. 

She smiled and pointed to Sesshoumaru, "This Lord, and his Father." 

Sesshoumaru looked at her, a bit surprised for the umpteenth time since meeting her. "You weren't kidding when you said you were loyal only to me." 

She gazed casually at him, "I don't kid about that stuff. It's not my style." She looked back at the Monks, "Now, you've had your fun Kitsunes. Go away." 

The Monks gasped and turned into fox-like Demons. "How did you know we were pretending?" 

"I smelled Demon. Not a very good impersonation." 

They gave her one uneasy look and ran off into the forest. "...Off to report to your Father." Crystalline murmured. "Let's go. I need to spar with you and your Dad still." She took a moment to done her previous garments and smiled at her friend. "Come on we'd better get going." Sesshoumaru blushed faintly at her smile and nodded. She giggled and started back for his home. 

"About time, I was going to send a search party out to find you two." Inu-Youkai greeted the two friends warmly. "Shall we spar now Crystalline?" 

She grinned, "Of course. But on three conditions, though I doubt you'd violate any of them." 

"What conditions?" 

"One; if you or I get pinned to the ground, we lose, two; if one of us forfeits there will be a rematch, three; no hurting or involving the spectators. Deal?" She held out her hand. 

Inu-Youkai looked down at her, and smiled in spite of himself. She was two heads shorter than he was and yet she looked ready to defeat even a Dragon. He took her hand readily. 

The cat Demoness was refereeing and rang a gong, "Ready... Fight!" 

Crystalline and Inu-Youkai clashed, not waiting for the other to show any openings, they went at it full force. Murmurs arose from the crowd, bets for and against the competitors. 

"I bet my armor the Lord wins." 

"I'm not betting against him. He's battling a young lass!" 

"Well I think Crystalline will beat my father." Sessho-Maru said smugly, smirking confidently. "She's more calm than he is, and it looks like she's blocking most of his attacks." 

As if to prove his point, Crystalline flipped the Demon Lord onto his back and pinned him down. Five seconds later both warriors got up and shook hands. 

"That was fun." Crystalline was smiling at Sessho-Maru, "I get to fight you next. So don't try to wiggle your way out of it." She winked at him. 

"There is no way I'm going to 'wiggle out of it.' We're going to fight. Even if you don't want to. And we'll finish it." 

"I'm sure we will. I know you won't go easy on me just 'cause I'm a girl." 

"Are we gonna fight or talk?" Sesshoumaru demanded impatiently. 

The cat youkai finished collecting some gold from a younger demon and returned to her station by the gong. "Ready... Fight!" 

They leapt into the air together. Aside from the fact that both were avoiding hurting one another, this battle was almost the same as the first one. The spectators were almost evenly divided, as for the favorite was. In a short while the battle took to the sky and was lost from view. 

Wings sprouted from Crystalline's back as she rose above him. After doing a series of warm up loops she hovered before Sesshoumaru, who was very shocked that she suddenly had wings. _'She's an angel now?'_ He wondered then smirked. 

"Never a dull moment with you. Eh, Crystalline?" He flew forward and tried to grab at her. She dodged gracefully. 

"I never liked dull moments. I've got to keep life interesting." She caught him from behind, grabbing his arms and pinning them behind his back so that escape would prove difficult. "Do you give up? You know I've got ya." She cooed into his ear, causing color to rise to his cheeks again. 

"Not yet!" He flipped so suddenly that she was caught completely off guard. Crystalline's spinning through the air with her wings askew and no control gave Sesshoumaru the perfect opening. He grabbed her arms and pulled almost the same technique she had used against him, except that her wings were pinned to his body, leaving her immobile. 

She struggled futilely, but he definitely had the upper hand. "Okay, I lost. Let's go back down." She sighed. "I wish I could've done better." 

Sesshoumaru looked at her, "Why?" 

She looked up at him, which was hard to do since she was planted firmly to his chest, "You probably think I'm weak, since I was so careless in the fight." 

"No, I don't think you're a weakling. You just defeated my father and didn't even rest before we fought. I'm surprised you could even last this long." 

She looked down towards the fast approaching ground. "Oh, I see." 

Sesshoumaru felt something wet on his arm. He lifted her into a more comfortable position and looked at her, she was crying. "Hey, don't cry. I didn't mean it like you were... Um..." He trailed off, he couldn't say anything to make her feel better. "Sorry I underestimated you." She still cried. Her tears were unabated, she couldn't move her hands to dry her eyes. Unaccustomed to being so gentle, Sesshoumaru wiped her tears away with a clawed hand. 

She smiled at him again, tears still present, but fading. "Thank you." 

When they landed, no one was there. "Guess they got bored waiting for us." 

"You're right... What's that smell?" Crystalline pointed toward the mountains. There was a blackened area with the faint smell of mortals Demon blood, and... "Oh God! Sesshoumaru, the war must've started!" 

An icy claw of fear gripped Sesshoumaru's stomach. The servant girl who came the night before must have really been a spy! "C'mon we've got to help!" 

"R-right!" She sped off into the mountains after him. "How far?" 

"About five minutes, that's too long." He looked back at Crystalline. She was holding her mouth, like she would through up. "What's with you?" 

"This smell... It's nauseating. Like stuffing your head into a four day old carcass." 

Sesshoumaru sniffed, the horrid smell wafted over him. He wobbled. "That's putrid! I don't know why anyone would fight near something so horrid smelling!" Suddenly Crystalline grabbed his wrist and started through the woods faster than ever. "Wha...? Crystalline?" 

"Their plan is so simple! Demons have sharper senses! Your dad, he's a dog Demon, that makes him even worse!" 

"What do you mean 'worse?' How is he worse by being a dog Demon?" 

"His sense of smell! It's even sharper than yours! Especially if he's in his giant dog form!" She pulled him harder, urging him to speed up. They were almost on the battle field. The smell was nearly unbearable. Crystalline stopped. "Do you think you can handle the smell?" 

Sesshoumaru nodded. Even if he was on the verge of passing out, Crystalline wasn't going to last longer than he was in this fight. "I can fight as long as you can." 

She glanced at him with a sort of pitying look in her eyes before she charged into the fray. Sesshoumaru fought scores of mortals and imps alike. But his mind wasn't focused on the battle. He was remembering his dream, the one where Crystalline died. This battle had a different smell. But what if his dream was a vision of the future? 

Crystalline was cutting mortals down by the hundreds with a whip of golden energy. She was crying. Why? She had said she liked to fight. A new smell filled the air. This one was more powerful than the carcases. This was more like... 

"Sesshoumaru! There's a dragon coming!" 

The mortals were almost all dead. The ones left alive were terribly wounded. Crystalline was in the air with her blade drawn. The dragon was a red first class. Built for speed and power. Nothing could've frightened Sesshoumaru more. His Father lost to Crystalline, and she doubted her abilities against it. How could she win? Crystalline flew toward the dragon uncertainly, her wings flapping slowly. Compared to the dragon Crystalline was tiny, like a mouse with a man. The dragon was black and had a green shine to her scales. She made a strange sound and blew fire everywhere. Sesshoumaru dodged and looked fearfully up towards where the brave girl had been. A ball of fire hung there. No sign of Crystalline. 

~*~TBC~*~   
Hee ^^ I hope you all liked it! I think it is pretty good, especially compared to the other version ^^ Please R/R, if I get more than 5 reviews I'll upload the next chapter after school tomorrow ^^   



	2. Prologue To A Storm

Wai thank you for my pretty reviews! ^_^   
Notaningen--Aww c'mon, don't spoil it! XD   
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Lunakitty--I hope it's interesting by the time everyone's done reading it! XD My chapters should be shorter...people don't like them being so long I think.  
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And Dissclaimer: I own... my... Ankh ^_^ 

~*~Chapter2~*~ 

The black smoke cleared revealing a scorched Crystalline. The girl's beautiful hair was singed a bit and her wings looked like they were part of a barbequed chicken. "Calm down. I don't want to hurt you. Why are you here?" She spoke softly so as not to frighten or anger the magnificent creature. The dragon had a rather large abdomen, and it was fairly obvious that it--she--was pregnant. "I'm going to try something. Please refrain from burning me up. It won't help you." Crystalline glided under the dragon's bulging stomach. She closed her eyes and sighed, then concentrated. _'Where's that little thing?'_ She was searching her own soul for the wild magic she needed to connect with the Dragon. The corridors of her mind were cluttered and it was difficult to find the tiny pool but it didn't take too long to find. She reached out and grasped a thread of the copper fire and let herself into the Dragon's soul. 

_ 'Who are you?' _Crystalline wondered, surprised that an animal's mind could be as organized as the young dragon's was. 

_ 'I am Silver Light. Who are you?' _Came the heated reply. 

_ 'I am Crystalline. Why did you come to this place?'_

_ 'I sensed a purifying essence.' _Her voice had a heavy accent to it that Crystalline couldn't place, along with a definitely snobby ring to it. 

_ 'Why do you need purifying?' _Crystalline wondered. Dragons are extremely powerful creatures, and for one to seek out a demon for help was unheard of. 

_ 'My baby. She's dead.'_

Crystalline felt very sorry for the large creature. If she had ever lost a baby... she didn't know what she would do, but destroying the world sounded good. _'That's so sad... If I heal her will you leave this place? You aren't safe with all the mortals around here...'_

_ 'How can a mortal like you save a dead Dragon?'_

_ 'I just can.' _There was an edge of inpatients to Crystalline's voice and Silver Light thrashed a bit. _'Just calm down and let me work.'_

She sighed again and grasped more of her magic, searching the dragon's soul this time for the golden aura of the baby dragon, which she soon found. She worked slowly, easing her magic into the still form with the greatest care. In a few minutes a faint heart beat was audible. The baby was alive again! Crystalline withdrew from the dragon's soul and took a second to steady herself. Once having done so she looked up into the large green eyes of Silver Light. "Done. Please leave now... She'll be born soon..." 

Silver Light's scales changed to a shimmering gold and she scooped Crystalline up in one taloned paw and brought her close to her large face. Crystalline was exhausted, she had never used raw magic that much before. Dragons are magic resistant creatures.. A little gold pendant appeared in front of Crystalline. It was in the shape of a star with a circle around it. Surprised, Crystalline humbly accepted the gift. The second she touched it she knew what it could do. It had the power to create anything, if used properly. Silver Light nodded her approval and flew away, leaving behind a very wasted woman. Crystalline's breath was ragged and her eyes were hooded. Everything was blurry. Her wings soon slowed and then stopped flapping, and she fell silently to earth. 

"Crystalline!" Sesshoumaru ran over to where she fell, "Are you alright?" Crystalline didn't move; she was out cold. 

"Son, let's take her back to the cave. She needs rest." Inu-Youkai stopped behind his heir. He was in his full youkai form; that of a giant dog, and was carrying many of his wounded fighters on his back. Sesshoumaru stood up and nodded to his father and scooped the fallen girl up. 

He carried Crystalline to not only the cave, but also his room, where a very white Jaken stood. "Jaken, do you know what this girl just did?" The servant demon shook his head dumbly. Sesshoumaru continued, knowing that it was beyond Jaken's comprehension level anyway. "She drove a first class dragon off--without fighting it. She has a lot of talent. Get a new kimono for her. Hers is all bloody." Jaken bowed and left. Sesshoumaru sat on the bed next to Crystalline and watched her. He just sat there for a few hours wondering why she hadn't tried to fight the Dragon. It might have been because she killed so many mortals and was injured from that wolf bite. _'She's a broken Angel... Why do I care so much about her? Isn't she just a girl?'_

_ 'A very pretty girl,'_ something in his heart reminded him. And she was. Her skin was unbelievably pale compared to the usual slight tan. With a sigh he sat where he was and stroked her cheek, just to remind himself that she wouldn't disappear like in his dream. 

Three days passed, during which Sesshoumaru thought only of Crystalline. He didn't eat or sleep. Rumors flew around the court about how he was trying to appease Shinigami, the god of death, enough to make him not take Crystalline from them. Sesshoumaru did not truly think she would die, but he kept remembering his dream. The one where Crystalline died in his arms. That frightened him because, even though he never believed in prophetic dreams, there may have been the slight possibility that it was a sign of the future. 

On the fourth night Crystalline woke up. Moonlight illuminated the room, decorated with all manor of swords and armor from throughout Japan and even a few from mainland China. There were wall scrolls and drapery hung all around and there was a deceptive feeling of peace to the room. Sesshoumaru was sleeping with his chin resting on the side of the bed. Crystalline smiled and realized that he must have been waiting for her to recover. The sleeping boy felt the bed move under him and he opened his eyes to see Crystalline awake, fully recovered and bathed in pale blue moonlight light. With the moon behind her she really did look like an angel. 

She sat up quickly and swayed. "How long was I out?" she asked, brushing her bangs out of her eyes with one hand. 

Sesshoumaru pushed her down gently, staring subconsciously into her stunning eyes. "Three days." He whispered. "But you should still rest." 

Crystalline sat up, this time grabbing his arm to steady herself. She gave him a warm smile to reassure him. "I can sit. Were you waiting for me to wake up?" 

He blushed, "Yeah." Standing up he opened the door. The ugly servant, Jaken, was pacing in front of it, he jumped when he saw his Lord. 

"M-my L-Lord! Is it true that you will not leave your Lady's side 'till she recovers?" He was answered with a kick to the head. Sesshoumaru didn't like rumors at all. 

"Go get some sake and the kimono I ordered for Crystalline." 

"Y-yes Lord! I came only to say that your old friend, Lord Yuri, has come to visit you." Jaken stuttered, bowing repeatedly. 

"Yuri...?" Sesshoumaru repeated, "Of the eastern lands?" 

"Yes Lord! He wishes to see how you've been." 

"Tell him I will see him in a short while. First I must attend to Crystalline. Now get the kimono and sake!" Jaken bowed swiftly, dropping his hat. In an undignified scramble he grabbed it off the floor, mumbling apologies, and left. 

Returning to Crystalline Sesshoumaru smiled. "Jaken's getting you a new kimono." 

"Because I ruined my old one in the fight?" 

"Yeah." A few minutes later Jaken brought in a yellow kimono with flowers and swans on it and a large jug of sake. Crystalline went behind one of Sesshoumaru's decorative screens to change. Blushing Crystalline came out in the overly large silken kimono. 

In a few seconds a dark haired, blue eyed, and tall, male demon wearing a dark blue kimono, entered. Crystalline blushed when she saw him and tried to hide behind Sesshoumaru to hide it. 

"It's okay Crystalline." Sesshoumaru said, smiling at his best friend. "Hello Yuri. This is my friend Lady Crystalline. Crystalline this is Yuri." 

"Hello m' Lady." Yuri smiled and he kissed Crystalline's hand, making her blush even more. "I'm glad Sesshoumaru has learned to keep good company." 

"You're one to talk Yuri." Sesshoumaru smirked. 

"Hello Lord Yuri..." Crystalline smiled, but was still partially hiding behind Sesshoumaru. 

"Sess, I didn't know you had a mate." Yuri smirked back at his long-time friend, "Clue me in once in a while why don't you?" 

"Drop it Yuri." 

Crystalline smiled at the carefree attitude Yuri seemed to cause Sesshoumaru to lapse into. She poured the tea for the three of them and sat back, sipping her sake daintily. And, had he not known better, Sesshoumaru would have thought she was a princess as opposed to a warrior. Yuri glanced at her then back to Sesshoumaru. "Hey Sess, can we talk in private?" Yuri indicated Crystalline with a slight toss of his head. 

Sesshoumaru nodded. "Crystalline..." 

"Would you guys like me to go outside?" She asked simply, looking up from her tea as if she hadn't heard him at all. 

"It's raining, m'Lady, you'll probably get sick." The blue haired man said, mildly surprised that she would be so willing to leave the den. Most girls like her, as far as he'd seen, liked staying inside where it was warm and safe. 

"Lord Yuri, thank you for worrying about my health, but rain calms me. I always feel better when I'm wet, especially after a battle." Crystalline smiled, placing her empty tea cup upside down on the tea tray. With a smile to both of them she bowed and left. 

Sesshoumaru watched her go. _'I didn't know she liked the rain too.'_ He thought. 

Crystalline walked outside into the light rainfall and sat with her back against a large birch tree. She sighed and looked up at the clouded sky through the canopy of leaves above her. "Why did I have to come back so far?" She asked to no one in particular, "The spell wasn't supposed to take me all _this_ far back. I was supposed to just go back to where I met Sesshoumaru, not before Inuyasha was born! Sesshoumaru is so different here... And Jaken isn't so clingy, although that's got to be a good thing." 

Inu-Youkai seemed to materialize from behind the tree. "Hello Lady Crystalline. Why are you standing out in the rain? Weren't you too sick to leave Sesshoumaru's room only this morning?" 

Unfazed by his sudden appearance, Crystalline smiled. "Yes Lord, I was a bit tired because I used a lot of raw magic up during the fight. I'm fine now." 

"You fought well, no one else could have gotten rid of such a powerful creature." Inu-Youkai smiled thinly at the girl then turned his gaze toward the sky. A drop of rain fell onto his nose and he shook it away, "Why are you out in the rain? You could get sick." 

"I like the rain, it reminds me of all the times I felt bad, and I had a person wash all that away. If it came back, he'd just wash it away again." She looked away and wiped a tear from her eye, hoping he wouldn't notice. She missed the way she remembered Sesshoumaru terribly. 

Inu-Youkai saw her tear and took a gamble, "Sesshoumaru?" 

Still unfazed by his insight she chuckled dryly. "Yeah, he did. But he doesn't know." 

"Why is that? 

"He doesn't realize he does it." 

"Really now?" 

"Just him being near. It calms my soul." Crystalline sighed softly and smiled, closing her eyes. "He doesn't need to know he does it either." 

Inu-Youkai sat next to her and looked down at the top of her head. He watched as the rain water seemed to gather just above her long ears then run down her cheek and onto the ground. "Why don't you tell him?" The demon lord asked, with a thin smile. 

"He'll probably laugh at me. He isn't a very open person when it comes to his feelings." She sighed and the two of them sat in silence until the rain stopped. With another sigh she stood up, her Kimono was soaking wet and was covered in mud. She blushed, "I'd better go get dried off." Without waiting for an answer she ran into the den and changed. 

Yuri was coming out of Sesshoumaru's room just before she arrived. "Sess, is that cat girl still working for your Lord father?" 

"Ryuu? She sure is, and she dumped that thunder Demon, Hiten, for two timing her." 

"Really? Well then, 'scuse me Sess, I'm going to go console her." 

"Oh _you're_ a nice guy. Going to a girl when she's most defenseless." Sesshoumaru snorted at his friend. 

"I always was." Yuri flashed a brilliant grin at Sesshoumaru and Crystalline, then went down the hall toward Ryuu's quarters. 

"Hey, Crystalline..." Sesshoumaru said once his friend was gone. "I've got something to ask you." 

Crystalline turned, a little surprised that he'd ask her anything. "What is it Sesshoumaru?" 

"Er..." He shook his head and changed his mind. "Why do you smell like dragon?" 

She blushed, "I used the pendant I got from Silver Light to make a new kimono. The one you gave me was ruined in the mud outside... I'm sorry, I didn't mean for it to get ruined..." 

"That's alright." Sesshoumaru blinked, "Wait, what pendant? And who is Silver Light?" 

Crystalline motioned for him to follow her into his room and sat down on his bed. "Silver Light is that Dragon from the battle field, she had a baby and the baby died before she was born. I used most of my wild magic to bring the baby back to life. Silver Light gave me this magic pendant which can create anything, if used by a pure heart. I does other stuff too but I don't know what they are." 

"Wild magic? Is that like sorcery?" 

"Yeah it is. But I used too much, and got drained." 

"Oh, okay. I um... like your new kimono." Sesshoumaru said, the magic topic having gone fairly high over his head. He couldn't think of anything else to talk about either, so he had mentioned the first thing that came to mind. 

Crystalline blushed, "Thank you, Sesshoumaru." 

"Where did you go when we sent you off?" 

"I went outside in the rain." 

"Oh yeah. Um... on another subject..." 

"Yeah?" Crystalline looked up at him and saw that he was a little fidgety. 

Sesshoumaru blushed, twiddling his thumbs subconsciously under the folds of his kimono's sleeves. "Yuri says his father wants to have a party next summer. I was wondering if you'd come with me." 

"Like how?" The girl asked quizzically, wondering why he was so nervous-sounding. 

"As a couple. Sort of." 

"Sure! I'd love too!" Crystalline smiled. "What kind of party is it?" 

"A um... dancing and eating party." 

"I'd love to go! How formal is it?" 

"Very formal. All the lords of Japan will be there." He was blushing very brightly now. 

Crystalline gave him a big smile, noting with glee his brightening face. "Shall I leave you alone?" 

Sesshoumaru looked up, startled, "Why? Do you want to leave?" 

"No, I just thought you might want to talk to your Lord father. He's coming down the hall." 

Inu-Youkai stepped into the room excitedly. His face was a picture of extreme joy not quite befitting a fearsome demon lord. "Son, Crystalline! Shinju is having her baby!" 

"What? She is?" Crystalline and Sesshoumaru chorused. As if replying 'yes' Inu-Youkai grabbed their wrists and pulled them down the many halls and all the way to Shinju's chambers. 

"Only Crystalline can enter. It's a girl thing." Ryuu said simply, glaring at Yuri. It was fairly obvious that he had tried to go in and help, partially by the large hand print on his cheek. 

Sesshoumaru nodded; he didn't even want to go in._ 'The last thing I need is to see that woman giving birth to something.'_ he blinked at the thought. _'I didn't think I hated her so much. She's Father's woman, not mine I don't have to like her, I just need to be quiet about it around Father.'_ Sesshoumaru looked at his Father, _'Does he realize how embarrassing and shameful it is to marry outside of our species? Humans are unable to bear young powerful enough to survive among Demons and they can't survive among people either. He must realize that the child will be shunned among all species.'_

Inu-Youkai put his hand on Sesshoumaru's shoulder. "Son, if Shinju has a girl I don't know what to name her. If she has a boy I would like you to name him. Do you have any suggestions?" 

Sesshoumaru looked at his father's hand and felt humbled a bit. 'Killing Blade' was definitely not what Ryoko wanted to name her first and only son. Although she had been a murderous youkai, she wanted her son to have a name that, in her opinion, suited him better. 'Yukito' had always appealed to her, but Inu-Youkai had argued with her for days on the subject, promising that she could name her next born. Although honored, Sesshoumaru was also surprised and answered dutifully. "The name must only glorify you. I hope the child is a warrior to follow in your shadow as I do." 

His father smiled at the words of his son and was quiet for a moment. "Crystalline may have thought of a name." he whispered, "I heard her say something about an 'Inuyasha.' Perhaps she can see the future." 

"That would not surprise me at all father. She is definitely full of mysteries." 

"That she is... that she is." Seemingly out of the blue Inu-Youkai turned to his son and said; "I think she likes you more than as a friend." 

"Father, what do you mean?" 

"She said you make her calm, and that when she is sad you comfort her subconsciously. I truly believe the two of you could become the next lord and lady of this land." 

Sesshoumaru looked up at his Father with the same look he had when he was little, a look of pure wonder. "Father?" 

"How do you feel about her son?" 

"I... I don't know." Sesshoumaru looked away and blushed. _'Crystalline may like me too?'_

The door opened to Shinju's chamber and Crystalline, and Ryuu came out with Shinju in a wheeled contraption created with the magic of Crystalline's amulet. Shinju was carrying a small bundle of pink cloth. Inside was a tiny, white haired, golden eyed, dog Demon. 

"Crystalline, will you name him?" Inu-Youkai had smelled the child and immediately knew that it was a boy. He gave a playful smile and waved his hand before the baby's face and was delighted when he was bit by a pair of tiny canine teeth. 

"Um... okay... How about Inuyasha!" Shinju and Inu-Youkai nodded. "Really? I picked it because he has m' Lord's ears. And his eyes are shaped like a demon I knew." Crystalline was lying of course; she named him that because she knew him in the future, where she came from. She silently wondered, however, how Inuyasha would have gotten his name had she not been present. 

Shinju showed Inuyasha to Sesshoumaru proudly, "Inuyasha, this is your big brother, Sesshoumaru." 

"Bra... Braba." The baby waved his arms at his brother, having released his proud father's hand. Sesshoumaru blinked. What was the child trying to say? _''Braba?' What is that?'_

"Take him Sesshoumaru, he wants you to hold him." 

Sesshoumaru looked at Crystalline, and she nodded. "Okay..." Clumsily, he took the tiny bundle of pink cloth from Shinju and held it in his arms. Inuyasha grabbed a tuft of Sesshoumaru's hair and started chewing on the ends of it, giggling madly, thrilled with his new toy. Although taken aback, the new older brother couldn't help but laugh a little at the antics of his little half-demon brother. Soon the entire company was laughing. 

From the shadows Jaken watched the family rejoicing. _'Lord Sesshoumaru is becoming tame. I need to fix that... And that Crystalline girl is breaking his spirit! I'll just have to destroy her!'_ He cackled evilly and ran off to plot. 

Crystalline's sharp ears picked up the noise of Jaken scuttling down the stone corridor. She snuck away from the group and followed him, wondering what the deep feeling of foreboding in her chest was. _'What's that little toad doing now? I sense something bad coming. Like a dark cloud gliding towards this place. Should I change the future?'_ She ran faster through the deserted corridor, pulse quickening. _'I know Jaken. He's going to try and keep me from Sesshoumaru, but I can't let history change it's course. I'll have to keep this time on the same path as it's supposed to follow. No time for trail blazing... although I'm sure I've messed things up already.'_ She stopped at a dead end and looked around, trying to catch her breath. _'Where the heck is Jaken? He's not that fast.'_ Just as she thought it something loomed out of the shadows and clobbered her with a gigantic stone from the wall. She was out before she hit the cold floor. 

~*~TBC~*~  
Well I'm sorry for the wait ^_^ but here I am as of thus... chapter 3 needs more work I think... and reading the other story won't really help! XP R/R~ ^_^ 


	3. Floodwaters To Tomorrow

Waah~ I'm sorry! > I haven't updated like I said I would! Actually, I've been working on some new Yugioh fics and have started working on my other Inuyasha fics that have kinda fallen off the face of the earth o_o   
I love you readers so much though! ^_^ I'm glad you all reminded me to come back ^_^ As I already said, this ending is a little different from the original's ending, and I hope you like it better! ^^   
**Notaningen** Your wish is my command! ^.^ Here's the last chapter for you ^ ~   
**Pepsi-chan** MWAHA this isn't the same as the other one's ending! Hee -^^- You have to read this one too. Hee ^^   
**Son Mist **Baka Twin, I have no pie! XD And it could've been one of those spin the bottle parties! (Sesshoumaru: Why would I go to one of THOSE o_o)   
**Kuramas Koi** I am I am! ^_^ I'm happy that you made the 10th review too--I think I forgot to mention it, but you get a prize (if you read this chappie o_o hard to get a hold of you without your e-mail) ^^ So contact me and I'll do a piccy if you like ^.^   
**Pretty-Kitty15** Up-date is one word? Oh yeah huh ^^; Forgive my lack of sleep... ^^ 

**Disclaimer** (like people read these, ne?) I do not in fact own Inuyasha. Oh how I wish I did... there would've been more yaoi when Jakotsu was there though ^ ~ And Inuyasha would get off his steely buttox and be with Kagome -.-; Kikyou won't even go away after Naraku pushes her off the cliff! Argh! *pushes Kikyou off again* XD;;;;   
Sesshoumaru: --; get on with your disclaimer, Megami.   
Eheh ^^; So yeah... I do own the plot for this fic, and the other characters though! (IE Yuri, Inuyasha's mom, Crystalline...) And... um... I also own Crystalline's dagger thing o_o but I think it got stolen... so maybe someone else does now...   
Bakura(From Yugioh): *thwack* Stop rambling! Baka --;   
;-; I have such mean muses. Ah well. Here's the completed fic! ^_^ 

**Chapter 3**   
Sesshoumaru looked up from the sleeping bundle in his arms. (No matter how many times Inuyasha was passed around he always seemed to wind up snuggled into his elder brother's arms, much to Sesshoumaru's discomfort.) He blinked and sniffed the air. His senses were confirmed. He definitely smelled something. He was still holding Inuyasha in his arms. _'Where's Crystalline? She was just here a moment ago.'_ Yuri put his hand on his distracted friend's shoulder. 

"Hey, Sess, what's up? Is something wrong?" 

As though not hearing his friend, Sesshoumaru looked over his shoulder. _'Crystalline's blood is on the air.'_ An image flashed through his mind; Crystalline, with her wings sending white light all around her, bleeding and pale, flying towards a swirling black orb in the sky. The orb wasn't completely black however--it had dark colors flickering throughout it and vibrant lightning bolts flashi. "Yuri... do you believe in visions?" He whispered, visibly shaken. 

"Yeah Sess, I do... a little bit. Why do you ask?" Yuri's hansom features fairly defined confusion. Sesshoumaru was not a superstitious person as far as he knew, and he knew the guy pretty well, considering they had been friends for centuries. 

"Just come with me." With that, Sesshoumaru gave Inuyasha back to a surprised Shinju and fairly flew down the corridor, following Crystalline's scent and nearly running over a few servants. Yuri blinked twice, then followed his friend more slowly, apologizing to the shaken underlings. 

Jaken heard them coming and hid himself in a crevice of the wall; this area of the underground palace being filled with nooks and crannies large enough for a large horse to hide in. Using a quick spell he concealed his scent until he could not hear Sesshoumaru or Yuri's footsteps anymore. Jaken allowed himself a smirk at his master's idiocy, _'Now I just have to get rid of that annoying girl...'_ Opening the black hole he used for transport, Jaken slipped into his room. He took a large swig of sake he had taken from Sesshoumaru's private stash and hiccuped, dancing jovially. "I'm going to kill you! I'm going to kill you!" Jaken sang crazily, dancing around Crystalline's prone body. "You'll never see m' lord Sesshoumaru again! I'm going to kill you!" Laughing insanely, Jaken flipped through the many scrolls adorning his floor (most of which were probably stolen from Sesshoumaru), trying to find the perfect spell with which to kill her. He looked over at Crystalline, still cackling and shouted; "I've found it! You will die with a silent scream! And you can't see your love ever again, not even in death!" Jaken hopped onto a stool so he could get a better look at the unconscious girl. "Better yet," He continued, as though she could hear him, "I'll kill you with your own bone dagger! That would be mighty fulfilling!" No sooner had the toad demon grabbed the knife with his right hand when a white lightning bolt pierced through his grey flesh. He let out a blood curdling scream and Crystalline's lavender eyes snaped opene. Staring blankly at the writhing and screaming Jaken she mouthed some strange words--alien even if they had been heard--as white wings sprouted from her back. The horrified Jaken could only watch (and dodge) as she destroyed the room's contents with her unkept power. 

Sesshoumaru stopped his hunt and looked around, sniffing. Crystalline's smell was wafting down the hall as if pushed by a great wind. It seemed to be coming from Jaken's room. Yuri grabbed his shoulder again, pulling him back a bit, "Sess, please, tell me what this is all about. Why are you so jumpy? It isn't like you at all." 

Sesshoumaru looked at his friend fearfully, "I've been having visions. Crystalline always gets hurt in some way during them. I've had one where she died but then she only got really hurt. Now I had one where she's flying into a black sun... and it really freaks me out." 

"Black sun...?" Yuri repeated, thinking for a moment. "The legends say something about the black sun having to do with death don't they... an ultimate death that can't be changed no matter what? Not even by an ogre's spell..." 

"I know!" Sesshoumaru shouted, his words echoing around the stone hallway eerily. "That's what I'm worried about! Let's GO!" Without waiting for his friend to respond he resumed his sprint down the hall. 

Jaken, meanwhile, was frozen against the far wall. Crystalline's eyes had turned a blood red and were shining in the darkness. "I will kill you Jaken." She said flatly. Despite his attempts, Jaken's groveling was useless; Crystalline was beyond reason. She had seen the future Jaken had in store for Sesshoumaru and himself and knew above all else that she did not like it. Shaking angrily she raised an outstretched palm in his direction, muttering again in the alien language as a white ball of spirit energy formed, flickering in her hand and illuminating the entire room. She was about to sent it into the cowardly wretch's body when the one thing that could stop her actions entered the room and accidently saved Jaken's life. 

Sesshoumaru stepped in at that moment and saw a very interesting scene before him. His personal servant cowering before a very angry akutenshi. He stared for a moment, meeting Crystalline's eyes and gazing into them. His piercing gaze startled her and the strange force inside of her lessened as she sank back down, leaning against the table she had been tied to. 

"Crystalline! What are you doing!? Stop right now!" 

Jaken took the opportunity to appeal to his master, "Lord! She's gone mad! I tell you true, she plans to destroy us all!" 

Sesshoumaru looked at his servant. As far as he knew Jaken had never lied to him before, (although that certainly showed how much he knew) and the room was damaged greatly. The only plausible cause for the damage was the girl in front of him. "Crystalline, why did you do this?" She didn't seem to hear his question because she stared blankly at him for a long time before he asked differently. "Why did you destroy Jaken's room?" 

"She's gone mad I tell you lord! Mad! She should be driven out of your father's land!" 

Sesshoumaru's eyes grew dark with thought as he concidered the evidence before him and he looked appealing at Crystalline as if asking 'what should I do?'. 

Crystalline stared at Sesshoumaru in disbelief, "You... you believe him?" 

Sesshoumaru didn't know what to believe. Jaken never lied to him; he knew the consequences, there was definite evidence that showed that Crystalline had indeed gone insane, and the entire room smelled like her. The only other way for it to have covered up Jaken's unmistakable stench would be if she had lived there alone without being able to bathe for three hundred years! And since that was obviously not the case the only other conclusion was that her magic was the cause. 

Jaken grinned in evil triumph as Sesshoumaru bowed his head, "To be silent is to condone! It is below Lord Sesshoumaru's level to speak to traitors!" 

Crystalline looked from the toad to her friend as her eyes filled with tears, "You really believe him, don't you?" Sesshoumaru looked dumbly at her. Almost begging for the girl to give him a reason not to. "I knew it!" She sobbed and turned to go, floating up to a swirling blue light in the ceiling. She turned to face Sesshoumaru before ascending and whispered. "Goodbye Sesshoumaru. I'll see you again someday." And without another word she vanished into the void. 

Sesshoumaru stared blankly at the spot where she'd disappeared into for quite some time afterwards. "...Crystalline..." A lone tear trickled down his cold cheek, causing him to start a bit. He raised one hand to his face and wiped the tear away with a nail and staring at it in mild surprise. He was subconsciously very glad that his back was to Yuri and Jaken. _'I'm... crying...?'_ He thought, not recognizing the emotion or action. Trying to keep his voice steady he addressed Jaken and Yuri; "Could you guys leave me alone for a minute?" 

Yuri nodded, "Come on Jaken." He picked the little youkai up by the back of his kimono and unceremoniously carried him out of the room. 

Sesshoumaru sat, all alone for hours on the floor of the room. The few memories he'd made over the past five days were flooding his thoughts, causing his head to spin a bit. The fight, sitting next to her waiting for her to regain consciousness, watching her soothe the Dragon. He felt a wave of self-pity flood over him. The fire in the room gave his broken heart no warmth. _'I... loved her...'_ He stood up. _'No need to cry over spilt blood.'_ He reminded himself reluctantly. It was a bit more like a reprimand than a reminder though. As he left the room he eyed the dagger Crystalline had made the night she was first with them lying on the ground near where she had disappeared. He picked it up and smiled thinly, running his long slender fingers over the intricate carvings, marveling at how perfect it was. He traced the face of the girl carved in its handle and knew that she would come for it one day. He didn't know how. He just knew.   
  
**Owari**

That's that! ^-^ Pleaser R&R, I need the reviews -^^- And go read some of the fics in my favorite stories section--they're all so beautiful ^_^ I love you all, kind reviewers!   
If you think I should write a sequel, please tell me in your review! ^.^ Otherwise I'll never get around to it... aa, I'm so lazy >   
Sesshoumaru: Maybe then you won't mangle my character.   
You were a baby! I could make you be a cutiepie if I wanted to XP 


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